The present invention relates to an eye mask. More specifically the eye mask is a goggle-type design which is very conformable to the face of the wearer and which can be worn behind a wearer's glasses if so desired. The primary area of use for the present invention is in the health care area and in particular hospitals, dental offices, doctor offices, clinics, labs and veterinary clinics. The eye mask is contemplated, however, to be useable in a wide variety of applications and, therefore, should not be limited to the above utilizations.
Eye protection is an important consideration in a number of areas not the least of which is the health care area. Physicians, dentists, nurses and hygienists are but a small portion of the health care personnel which are exposed to splashing fluids and small particle debris. Many times during surgical and dental procedures there are large amounts of fluid generated. Some of these fluids are body fluids while others are irrigation fluids. There are growing concerns that persons coming in contact with these fluids may have some degree of risk of contracting bacterial and viral diseases as a result of such contact. The eyes are considered one possible entry point for these diseases. As a result, more and more people are beginning to wear some form of eye protection. Some people simply wear glasses or large plastic/rubber safety goggles. Other people wear face shields much like a welder's mask or eye shields made from flexible plastic sheets such as Shieldmate (Pat. Pend.) (sold by AlphaProTech, Inc., Catalog/Model Nos. SM 2030, SM 2000, SM 2007, SM2015, SM 2035 and SM 2040). Yet another form of protection is a goggle/face mask combination as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,621 which has a low profile goggle attached to a face mask.
Glasses by themselves only provide protection from a frontal point of view as the areas around the glasses provide avenues for contaminants and fluid to enter the eyes. Goggles and safety glasses provide more protection, but are often cumbersome and uncomfortable to wear. In addition, such items are often difficult to wear in conjunction with prescription glasses. Full face shields, akin to welders' masks, are often cumbersome, sometimes fog due to containment of the wearer's breath and they still permit the entry of contaminants and fluids from the bottom side of the face shield. Similarly, partial face shields exhibit problems with unprotected paths to the eyes and difficulty in use with prescription glasses. As a result, it is an object of the present invention to provide an eye mask which exhibits both a good seal and a comfortable fit about the eye region of the wearer. It is another object of the present invention to provide an eye mask which has a flexible frame which is very soft to add to the comfort level of the wearer. Still a further object of the present invention is to provide an eye mask which is breathable to allow evaporation of perspiration and reduce fogging of the lenses. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an eye mask which combines the above attributes in an eye mask with a stretchable or elastic frame assembly so that the mask readily conforms to the face and can be adjusted laterally for different width faces and eye spacing. These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent upon a further review of the following specification, drawings and claims.